Radio frequency (RF) transmission of an electrical signal requires corresponding power amplification for the intended transmission. RF signals typically have a frequency spectrum that can range from several Megahertz (MHZ) to tens of Gigahertz (GHZ) and higher. A major component of the cellular phone is the RF power amplifier.
A linear RF power amplifier (PA) is conventionally in the form of a semiconductor Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) and can be made using Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Silicon Germanium (SiGe), Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS), Silicon on Insulator (SOI) and the like. The RF PA and other active and passive components, such as baseband, transceiver, filters, switches, are typically assembled on a printed circuit board (PCB). With the proliferation and introduction of new wireless communication standards (Long Term Evolution (LTE)/Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A), Super Wi-Fi, etc.) and new communication frequency bands (B40, B41, B17, B12, etc.), wireless communication devices (phones, personal digital assistants (PDA's), tablets, laptops, and the like) must be capable of accessing wireless services through multiple standards and multiple frequency bands.
In current wireless device designs that support multiple frequencies and multiple wireless standards the cost, the size and the complexity of wireless devices can be problematic.